Terminology
The Salvation Army has a lot of unique terms that are used throughout the church/organization. This is the page that will help explain some of these terms. More will be added over the course of time. Most of these terms are from the USA Southern Territory... I may not have included all of them or may not have added common terms from other Territories and Countries. Terms *'Corps:' the local unit of the Salvation Army. *'Salvationist:' Someone who has accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord, and desires to fulfill their membership of His Church on earth as a "Soldier" of The Salvation Army; chosen to follow the beliefs and way of life of the Salvation Army. Someone who chooses to accept the beliefs of the Salvation Army and therefore chooses the Army as their church home. (just as someone would say that they are Methodist, Baptist, etc.) *'Soldier:' there are two types of soldiers. A Junior Soldier is a child from age 7 to 14. A Senior Soldier is from age 14 until they are "promoted to glory." Both "types" sign a commitment when they decide to be enrolled. The Junior Soldiers sign what is known as the "Junior Soldier Promise" and Senior Soldiers sign what is known as the "Articles of War". *'Junior Soldier Promise: '''I know that Jesus is my Savior from sin, I have asked Him to forgive my sins, and I will trust Him to keep me good. By His help, I will be His loving and obedient child, and will help others to follow Him. I promise to pray, to read my Bible and, by His help, to lead a life that is clean in thought, word and deed. I will not use anything that may injure my body Or my mind, including harmful drugs, alcohol & tobacco. *'"Articles of War": Also known today as the "Soldier's Covenant." (See http://www.salvationarmy.org.nz/about-us/soldiers-covenant to read entire Covenant.) *"Promoted to Glory":' the phrase used when someone in the Salvation Army has died. *'"Firing a Cartridge":' used when someone makes a tithe or an offering using the white envelope. *'"Blood and Fire":' the Army's "war cry"; found on the Flag and the Crest. References the "Blood of Christ" and the "Fire of the Holy Spirit". *'"Call to Officership":' the "Call to Officership" is often done during Divisional, Territorial, and International gatherings. It is a time when those in the congregation have the chance to publicly accept God's calling on their lives to be a Salvation Army Officer. *'Territory:' the Salvation Army is an international organization which is broken down by Countries and then by Territories and then broken down again into Divisions. *'Divisions:' Subsections of any given territory. *'Corps Cadets:' Youth of a Salvation Army Corps who study the Bible and participate in other character building activities. Classes are usually held on a weekly basis at the Corps Cadet's local corps. *'Salvation Army Salute:' The Salvation Army salute is given by pointing upwards with the index finger of the right hand. It signifies recognition of a fellow-citizen of, and a traveler to, heaven, and a pledge to do everything possible to get others to heaven as well. On appropriate occasions the recognized military salute of the country concerned is used but is not otherwise in order between Salvationists. For a brief period, at the instigation of George Scott-Railton, the sign language equivalent for the letter S was exchanged when Salvationists met. *'"Fire a Volley":It was a term used by the military back in the days of the early Salvation Army when worldly armies used to line up in long battle lines and fire as concentrated groups into one another. The thought behind the saying, "Fire A Volley", is an image of the Soldiers present to "shoot" the words of God into the world to combat the evil that attempts to ensnare it. When done in sequence, it sounds like this: "Fire A Volley!" "Amen!" "And Another!" "Hallelujah!" "And Another!" "Praise God!" or "I'm Saved!" (Depending on your dialect) It was an integral part of The Salvation Army's early open air ministry, and still very much relevant today. Abbreviations Though some of this nomenclature is dated, these initials do exist, either currently or historically. *'''CO: Commanding Officer. The officer who is in charge of a Corps. If married in today's Salvation Army, both husband and wife are considered Commanding Officers or Co-Pastors. *'COW:' Commanding Officer's Wife -I have attended The Salvation Army for more than 82 Years and have never heard this and can imagine what would happen if I went up to the Commanding Officer and asked "Where is the COW this morning* IHQ: International Headquarters (located in London, England) *'NHQ:' National Headquarters (for the USA this is located in Alexandria, VA, just across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C.) *'THQ:' Territorial Headquarters *'DHQ:' Divisional Headquarters *'DYS:' Divisional Youth Secretary (the officer appointed to work with the youth in a particular Division) *'IC:' International Commander... the General of the Salvation Army *'DC:' Divisional Commander *'DS:' Divisional Secretary *'DFS:' Divisional Finance Secretary